Flurry Heart arrived at the war tent carrying a boiling jug of coffee. Her hooves crunched on the dead grass, and the noon sun bounced rays of light off the crystal band around her shaved mane. The sky was clear of clouds, except for the Everfree Forest and Airstrip One to the south. The pink hew to the north was exceptionally visible in the clear weather conditions.
The day was still cold, but the nights were barely below freezing. Snow melted under Celestia’s sun. The wind coming down from Canterhorn ruffled the blue banner of the Equestrian Liberation Front and the Imperial Snowflake, but it no longer whipped them about the radio antenna violently. They flew at equal height.
Several boxes of ammunition had been pushed together to form a large table. Flurry unceremoniously dropped the coffee pot down in the center, levitating it over the heads of the gathered creatures. A smaller gray ammo crate had been left conspicuously open; Flurry plopped down atop it and braced her forehooves on the table.
Nearly the entire leadership of Equestria and the Crystal Empire were present. The anti-air guns placed around the perimeter were staffed at all times, waiting for any attempted bombing from Canterlot or the west. The Reich’s air force had been dueling with the Hegemony’s for the past week, ever since her birthday.
Columns of panzers and on-hooves units had been reported west of the Duskwood Forest. The Reichsarmee had similarly built-up their forward line. Fuel trucks had pushed through the Everfree and around the north at a snail’s pace. Flurry didn’t risk trying to teleport gasoline and oil to the frontlines, nor would the griffons accept her help if she offered it.
The attacks on the Reich’s supply lines had finally dissipated. The last rogue group of the ELF had surrendered in Hayston, having been run down mercilessly for weeks after raiding trucks for food and ammunition. The ponies ended up surrendering to a Reich garrison.
Flurry Heart swallowed her pride and asked Gallus for a pardon. Surprisingly, Grover accepted and a group of knights dumped thirty-seven disheveled, confused ponies outside the School of Friendship. They now dug latrine pits.
“The weather will be clear for nine more days,” Flurry declared to the table. Spike picked up the scorching hot pot with his bare claws and began to pour steaming coffee into empty mugs around the table. His height and size made it easy to reach over horns and wings.
“Best guess,” Rainbow agreed. The pegasus had trimmed her mohawk down to wear a flight cap. She wasn’t wearing her prosthetic wing. “We got a barracks on Airstrip One. It’ll be cold, but pegasi can take the cold. We’re sleeping there from now on.”
“The trenches are wide enough to prevent tanks from crossing,” Eagleheart spoke in light Equestrian. “Our anti-tank rifles are in place.”
“So are the deeper trenchworks,” Altiert added. “We have enough room for most to sleep there as well, in shifts.” The gray griffon rubbed her beak. “Griffons are not meant for ditches. As long as the weather holds, it is livable.”
“Those holes are downright luxurious,” Limestone huffed with folded hooves. “Prissy little birds…”
“We’ll make do,” Duskcrest sipped his flask. “We always have.”
“The anti-tank guns are partially buried,” Edvald spoke in Herzlander. “It will make them harder to hit, but their range of fire will be limited.”
“All radio communications will be in Equestrian,” Thorax reminded the griffon.
“Just so,” Edvald sighed. “With buried guns, it will be harder to shoot,” he translated himself for the rest of the table.
“The artillery guns and Mage Units are in place along the slope,” Sunset reported. She wore a matching gray ELF uniform beside Fizzlepop. “We have a range of fire to reach the Celestial Plain and cover our trenches, and we’re shielded from Canterlot.”
Flurry looked up the mountain from her seat, leaning back to see past the top of the tent. They were on the south slope of Mount Canterhorn, and Canterlot was on the west. The road and railway coiled up the incline at a low angle. If Flurry walked to the western edge of the camp, she could barely see Canterlot Castle from below. Anti-air guns and spotlights still lit up the city at night, and the Changeling troops dug into the mountain road had roughly fortified their positions with whatever trucks and supplies they had been stranded with.
“We’ve discussed the battle plan for over a week,” Flurry sighed. “How’s the tunnels?”
“Most of the old Canterlot Mines have been collapsed,” Duty Price grumbled. He had forgone his cigar in exchange for coffee, apparently deciding they were mutually exclusive. “Bugs don’t want us to find a way in.”
“Digging is not an option,” Thorax shook his head. “They’ll hear it.”
“We’re not trying to get in,” Dusty Mark nickered. “Just make sure they don’t try to ambush us.”
“I’m on it,” Price affirmed.
“We have watched the road,” Amoxtli stated. The Thestral was bundled in a heavy jacket from the cold. It was a Jaeger’s jacket, cut with purple and white tribal marks. “They have sent a few probing attacks.”
“We’ll hold,” Nightshade hissed from beside the Tzinacatl mare.
“We shall,” Amoxtli agreed.
There was a moment of silence as everyone waited.
“I will be fighting…” Flurry started, “with Field Marshal Bronzetail at the Reich spearhead.” It had already been announced, so no one was truly surprised. Several muzzles still looked disappointed.
“The battle will be decided on the Celestial Plain,” Flurry repeated. “I can do the most there.”
“Be careful you don’t catch a bullet in the back,” Jacques warned with a chuckle.
“That’s what the armor is for,” Flurry tapped a hoof on the table. “Field Marshal Berrytwist is in command.”
Fizzlepop took a deep breath and nodded to the alicorn. “As you say, Princess.”
“Contingency plans,” Flurry said slowly. “In the event Hegemony aircraft break through the Reich’s air wings, we will immediately deploy and intercept. We have to keep the supply lines open for the Reich.”
Rainbow nodded.
“If the Reichsarmee is pushed back on land, Mage Units will support the trenches.”
Sunset nodded.
“Artillery will shell the main road to prevent a breakout.”
Barrel Roller and Fizzlepop nodded in unison.
Flurry was quiet for a moment and fiddled with her hooves. “Canterlot will be shelled directly. Disregard structural damage and civilian casualties.”
The table stared blankly at the wilting alicorn. “I’m sorry?” Fizzlepop asked.
“A breakout will start in Canterlot,” Flurry said quietly, “not just the troops on the road. Every changeling can fly; they swarmed Canterlot during the wedding. Fire on the dockyards and Lower Canterlot with anti-air as well.”
“Princess,” Sunset huffed, “there are a million ponies in Canterlot.”
“And there are millions more to the west,” Flurry replied. “The shelling will disrupt any attempted reinforcements to the road.”
Fizzlepop shook her head mutely. “I…” she trailed off. “We’ll kill thousands. Canterlot is densely packed. Princess, I will not give that order.”
“You did for the Storm King,” Flurry answered. Fizzlepop flinched and rubbed her scarred eye. “All across Zebrica. I don’t need the reformed unicorn; I need the Storm King’s Right Hoof.”
“Is that who you’re going to compare yourself to?” Sunset snorted.
Flurry ignored the jab. “Final business,” she partially unzipped her jump suit and pulled out a folded sheet of paper. “In the event of my death, Spike Sparkle will form a regency council. My final command is that Equestria and the Crystal Empire fight on until they win.”
Spike lowered the coffee pot abruptly to stare blankly across the table at her. The dragon spilled the steaming coffee on his feet; he didn’t notice. “What?”
“You can form whatever government you wish,” Flurry said listlessly, “but the agreements with the Griffonian Reich will be kept, including the debt, trade exclusivity, and resource rights.”
“Princess,” Dusty began, “you are an alicorn and immortal.”
“Not to a bullet,” Jacques interrupted neutrally. He folded his claws on the table.
Zecora shook her head and the bangles on her ears jingled. “Focus on the Changelings. You are too young to think of such things.”
“I will be riding an armored spearhead into battle,” Flurry sighed. “I want it clear that this war will not stop with my death.”
“If the battle goes poorly, we can easily retreat to the shield,” Thorax pointed out.
“Not easily,” Flurry chuckled lowly. “It’ll be like the first time. Or the second. A mad rush to safety. Most won’t make it.”
“You could make it,” Rainbow said confidently.
“I don’t want to make it,” Flurry answered. Her ears flicked as she stared across the table, not truly looking at anyone. “I am not spending decades behind that shield, watching as the Hegemony rampages across Equestria again. If Chrysalis wins again, no one else will ever come. Equus will truly be hers.”
“Princess,” Thorax tried, “you have a duty to survive to lead your ponies.”
“I can’t lead them if I flee,” Flurry said quietly. “I’m not that kind of pony. None of my family were.”
“Nopony would think less of you,” Jadis stated from beside the changeling.
“I would,” Flurry whickered. “My mother was a brave pony, but I will not die like her. I will not die clinging to the Crystal Heart and clawing for breath.”
“You nearly did,” Jacques quipped.
Sunset, Limestone, and Fizzlepop shifted uncomfortably on their boxes.
Flurry smiled sardonically, looking out across the table. “True. But we live or die out there. This is the last chance we will ever have. I leave the field when we win, or I do not leave.”
Flurry pushed the paper forward with a hoof. “Before witnesses,” she sighed. “At least this is done. Fizzlepop.”
The broken-horned mulberry unicorn blinked and made eye contact with Flurry.
“Please follow my command,” Flurry requested in a soft voice. “I know what I’m asking you to do. I’ve made that choice, too. I won't ask you to do something I wouldn't.”
Fizzlepop tried to respond, but just exhaled and looked away.
Spike reached over the table with a long arm and carefully picked up the sheet of paper with a claw. He read over the will while carefully pinching it between two talons, then folded the sheet and tucked it in his pants pocket.
“Twilight had to teleport me away from Canterlot,” the dragon snorted a plume of smoke. “Unless you do the same, I’m not leaving. It’ll be a damn short regency if we lose.”
“I flew this far,” Duskcrest squawked. “I’m not going back to the frontier.”
“There is nothing in Yakyakistan to go back to,” Yona rumbled from the corner.
“We’ve spent long enough banished behind the snow,” Jadis nickered.
Amoxtli hissed, “The Tzinacatl do not flee.”
“Fuck New Mareland,” Nightshade snorted.
“At worst I see my husband and son again,” Dusty whispered.
Altiert took a deep breath through her beak. Her claws dug into the wooden table.
Jacques groaned and snapped a claw. “Aquileia was boring anyway,” he sighed theatrically. “I might’ve been a monarchist if Discret routinely announced his death wish.”
“Thanks for the vote of support,” Flurry pursed her lips.
“Always, Little Flurry.”
“Everyone knows the plan,” Thorax chittered. “Let’s get to it.”
Flurry Heart rose and extended her wings. Jacques downed a cup of scalding coffee and coughed, standing up first. He bowed to Flurry and turned tail back towards the artillery pieces. Everyone else slowly filtered away from the table, bowing and joining small groups.
Rainbow gave Flurry a sad grin. “Element of Loyalty. You know I ain’t leaving.”
“I know,” Flurry replied.
“If you die out there, I’m gonna ram my plane into Canterlot Castle,” Rainbow boasted. “Go find that Jaeger that sliced my wing off.”
“Good luck.” Flurry couldn’t tell if Rainbow was being sarcastic or not.
The pegasus narrowed her eyes. “You better not die out there with the damn birds. Twilight will never forgive me if I let you get killed.”
Flurry worked her jaw and swallowed. “Good hunting, Rainbow. I’d rather be in a plane.”
“What’s stopping you?” Rainbow asked. “Grover ask you to help his toy tanks?”
“I can do more damage on the ground.”
“Yeah,” Spike grunted. “On that. Lunchtime. Let’s go, little miss alicorn. More food, more magic.”
“If that was true, every fat unicorn would be unstoppable.”
“You don’t get to make jokes after reading your last will and testament,” Spike rebuked the alicorn. He grabbed her by the scruff of her neck and began dragging Flurry away from the table. She pulled herself free after a few steps, but followed. Thorax spoke briefly with Rainbow and trailed after them.
Flurry Heart returned to her tent. Spike pried open a can of peaches with a claw and watched with lidded eyes as Flurry poured them into her jaw and chewed noisily. “You eat like Twilight.”
“Saves time,” Flurry smacked her lips. She took a deep breath and pushed it out with a foreleg as Thorax entered. “Don’t try to start with me, uncle,” she said warningly.
“I understand,” Thorax said quietly.
Flurry levitated a can of apples, then flung it back down at the Sweet Apple Acres logo. She grabbed another can of peaches and began chewing through them, also grabbing a loaf of stale hay and alternating bites. Spike had seen her eat enough times to not react beyond a mild groan of disgust.
“You know that dying is the coward’s way out,” Thorax chittered. "I could've flung myself at Vaspier and VOPS."
Flurry glared at him mid-chew and slowly took a large bite of hay.
“I agree with your uncle,” Spike rumbled.
Thorax licked his fangs. “If the battle goes poorly, don’t hold back.”
“Wasn’t planning on it,” Flurry mumbled with a muzzle full of peaches. The fur around her lips was stained with peach juice. She licked her lips with a broad tongue after setting the empty can down on the crate of armor.
“I mean it,” Thorax continued. “Don’t hold anything back. Carve your way through the Hegemony’s panzers. You can slice through their armor like butter.”
“Why do you think I won’t be doing that?” Flurry snorted.
“An alicorn has never fought on an organized front,” Thorax explained. “No one knows what you can truly do, not really.”
“I have,” Flurry disagreed with ruffled wings. “I’ve fought in battles.”
“Organized,” Thorax enunciated. “You haven’t fought in a battle with hundreds of thousands of soldiers on each side. No Princess has, not at the frontline, slinging spells from a tank.”
“So?”
“There are three empires fighting outside Canterlot: You, Grover, and Chrysalis. Only one is going to win.”
“We’re allied with the Reich,” Flurry leaned to the side and eyed the crystal ponies standing guard outside the tent. Probably listening. “That alliance will only grow stronger,” she said vaguely.
“That’s not what I meant,” Thorax shook his head. “Why do you think Chrysalis always claimed to lead her armies?”
“Because she’s a liar,” Flurry shrugged.
“Grover is miles away in the Everfree. You are at the front. Who do you think everyone will look to, win or lose?”
“I’m taking orders from Bronzetail,” Flurry answered.
Thorax gave her an unimpressed look. “Do you truly think that’s how it will go?”
Flurry considered it, remembering Manehattan and Wind Rider.
As the Princess commands!
“Ponies follow a herd,” Thorax shrugged. “Griffons fly a flock; changelings swarm. All of us follow a leader. You are an alicorn, one of five in the known world.” He spared a glance up at Spike. “Maybe three now.”
Spike huffed a small flame.
“I’m the Princess of Ponies,” Flurry said uncertainly. “The Reich doesn’t like me anyway.”
“That’s not gonna matter when bullets start flying and it’s your shield saving their feathers.” Spike folded his arms. “All right, finish eating. Enough doom and gloom.”
Later that night, Flurry Heart pulled her saddlebags out from under the cot and retrieved a quill and bottle of ink. She also tore a sheet of paper out from her journal. She stared at the page for a long time, frowning, before she started to write. The quill moved slowly in her golden magic.
When she was finished, her horn glowed bright gold and the words faded from the page. She carefully rolled the letter up and walked to Spike’s tent. The dragon had a normal-sized tent, which was unfortunate because he could barely fit in it. Ponies stomped a hoof in greeting as she trotted through the camp; Flurry nodded carefully in return, holding the letter in her teeth.
Spike’s snoring rattled the canvas walls.
Flurry tucked the letter under her wing. “Spike.”
He snorted awake with a jet of flame that ignited an already scorched tent flap. The dragon grabbed a bucket next to his broken cot and flung water on it with a lazy swing. “Flurry?” he asked, yawing and clacking his fangs together. “What’s wrong?”
“I need you to send a letter.”
Spike blinked and pinched his muzzle with a claw. “Huh?”
“A letter,” Flurry repeated, “to Celestia and Luna.”
Spike hesitated. “Is…” he struggled, “is it about the will?” He held out a claw and gently took it from Flurry’s wing. He unrolled it and looked at the blank page.
“She knows the spell to see the words.”
“I know,” Spike said softly, “but…what does it say?”
Flurry shrugged her wings. “Stuff.”
Spike rolled the letter back up and held the paper in this claws. “I know you don’t like them,” he started, “but Celestia and Luna have done a lot for Equestria. For a long time.”
“She’s playing pretend in the River Games, Spike,” Flurry said without any anger. “Luna paints. What did she say when you asked for help after I was hurt? I never saw the letter.”
Spike didn’t respond. His eyes closed in the dark tent and he breathed deeply.
“That it was too dangerous to travel?" Flurry asked again. "They can teleport.”
“They love you, Flurry,” Spike said softly. “They were so happy when you were born.” He fiddled with the rolled-up parchment. “The whole world depends on them.”
“One of them could have come,” Flurry answered.
“They’re sisters,” Spike sighed. “Family.”
“So was my mother,” Flurry sniffed and rubbed her muzzle with a hock. “Please, send it?” she pleaded.
Spike puffed a jet of green flame into his claw, and a swirl of ashes slowly blew around the tent. Flurry watched it pass above her head and twist through the sky, blowing east in direct defiance of the wind. She flapped and refolded her wings.
Spike slowly rolled on the cot, trying to make room. “Do you want to wait?”
“No,” Flurry shook her head. “I don’t need a letter back. I love you, uncle.”
“I love you, too,” Spike rumbled sincerely. “So much.”
The alicorn returned to her tent. She laid on her back with Whammy on her stomach. The purple crystal crown laid atop the box of armor, waiting. Her wings drooped off the sides of the cot; primary feathers idly brushed across the exposed grass.
Flurry had placed her small silver tiara on the snail’s head, affixing it with a glue spell. The crystals on the tiara were far larger than the button eyes. The little snail looked ridiculous, like it was pretending to be a princess. Like me, Flurry smirked. She laid her head back against the pillow. But you’re all I got, Whammy. You’ll have to do.
The rest of the night passed without a response.
But Princess Flurry Heart didn’t expect one.
Princess Celestia & Luna,
I haven’t heard from you. I’m with Spike, near Canterlot. The army’s encamped and readying for an assault. Chrysalis is going to throw everything she has at us again, just like with Starlight.
You didn’t come for her.
Maybe they would’ve won if you did. The ELF think Twilight’s still there, still in Canterlot. Her parents did, at least. They died in the last stand. She’s the only family I have left.
I think she’s dead.
I suppose you don’t know what to say to me. Or maybe you don’t have anything to say at all. A Princess should protect her ponies, and I’ve strung them from lampposts and beaten them to death in the streets. I’ve ordered their deaths. I know I’m an awful Princess. Mom and Twilight were better.
But they’re gone.
I’ve allied with Grover to win this. You probably know that. He says that the River Federation is going to attack him if he doesn’t win here. I’m sure you’d say that I can’t trust him and you’re probably right.
But he’s here, and you aren’t.
If we lose, the Changelings are going to roll across Equestria again. It got worse after Starlight lost. I know that the River Federation is trying to ignore it, but you have to know that the pictures and stories are real. If we lose again…
I don’t know.
The stories about me are true, too. I’ve got a lot of nicknames now. Most of them aren’t very nice. I don’t know what else to do. I know you have ponies over there in the Riverlands, but ponies here still think about you. Some hate you, but a lot want you to come back. Both of you.
I need you to come back.
I can’t do this alone.
Come back now.
Or never come back.
Flurry Heart